Bill 27 explained in plain English
Stop the Calls Act, 2018
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 41st Parliament, 3rd Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
The Stop the Calls Act, 2018, prohibits unsolicited telemarketing calls to consumers for prescribed products and services, makes resulting contracts void, and provides remedies for consumers.
The Stop the Calls Act, 2018, aims to protect consumers from unwanted telemarketing calls. It prohibits telemarketers from making unsolicited calls to consumers to sell, lease, rent, or advertise specific products or services. The Act defines what constitutes an 'unsolicited' call and outlines exceptions, such as calls from registered charities, political parties, or when there's an existing business relationship. If a contract is made as a result of a prohibited call, that contract is void, meaning it is treated as if it never existed. Consumers are protected from any liability or charges if a contract is voided. If a consumer is not repaid money owed to them after a contract is voided, they can sue and may be entitled to double the amount paid under the contract, plus any reasonable costs incurred. The Minister of Government and Consumer Services has the authority to make regulations that can prescribe specific products or services subject to the Act, exempt certain individuals or groups, and govern how payments are made to consumers.
- Prohibits individuals and corporations from making unsolicited phone calls to consumers for the purpose of selling, leasing, renting, or advertising prescribed products or services.
- States that any contract entered into as a result of a prohibited unsolicited phone call is void.
- Entitles consumers to a refund of money paid under a voided contract, plus reasonable costs for uninstalling, returning, or replacing a product or service.
- Allows consumers who have not received refunds to sue in the Superior Court of Justice and potentially recover double the amount paid under the contract, plus costs.
- Protects consumers from any liability or charges if a contract is deemed void.
- Specifies exceptions to the prohibition, including calls from registered charities, not-for-profit corporations, registered political parties or candidates, and situations with an existing business relationship.
- Defines 'existing business relationship' based on past purchases, inquiries, or written contracts.
- Establishes penalties for contravening the prohibition, with fines increasing for subsequent offences.
- Grants the Minister of Government and Consumer Services the power to make regulations.
- Consumers (individuals acting for personal, family, or household purposes).
- Persons or corporations making unsolicited phone calls for sales or advertising purposes.
- Registered charities.
- Not-for-profit corporations.
- Federal political parties, constituency associations, registered candidates, and those endorsed by parties.
- Provincial political parties, constituency associations, registered candidates, and leadership contestants.
- Candidates nominated under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.
- The Minister of Government and Consumer Services.
- Consumers have the right to not receive unsolicited telemarketing calls for prescribed products or services.
- Consumers have the right to have a contract declared void if it resulted from a prohibited unsolicited call.
- Consumers have the right to a refund of money paid and reimbursement of related costs if a contract is voided.
- Consumers have the right to sue for double the amount paid if refunds are not provided.
- Consumers are protected from liability if a contract is voided.
- Persons making phone calls have the obligation not to make unsolicited calls to consumers.
- Persons who enter into a voided contract have the obligation to repay the consumer.
- The Minister has the power to make regulations.
- The Act comes into force two months after receiving Royal Assent.
- Consumers may receive refunds for money paid under voided contracts.
- Consumers may receive additional costs related to uninstalling, returning, or replacing products or services.
- Consumers may be awarded double the amount paid under a voided contract.
- Consumers may recover additional legal costs incurred in obtaining a court order.
- Corporations and individuals face fines for contravening the Act, with penalties increasing for repeat offences.
- Contravention of the prohibition on unsolicited calls is an offence.
- Penalties for an offence include fines: up to $500 for individuals and $5,000 for corporations for a first offence; up to $1,000 for individuals and $10,000 for corporations for a second offence; and up to $2,000 for individuals and $25,000 for corporations for a third or subsequent offence.
- Consumers can commence an action in the Superior Court of Justice to recover amounts owed if payment is not made after a contract is voided.
- The specific products or services that are 'prescribed' for the purposes of the Act are not detailed in the bill text and will be set by regulation.
- The conditions or restrictions for exempting persons or classes of persons from the Act are not detailed and will be set by regulation.
- The specifics of how payments to consumers will be governed are not detailed and will be set by regulation.
- The bill does not specify the exact date of Royal Assent, only that the Act comes into force two months after that date.
The Minister can create regulations to specify which products or services are covered by the Act, exempt certain individuals or groups from the Act's rules, and outline how refunds and payments are to be made to consumers.
Source: Section 7
This Act will come into effect two months after it receives Royal Assent.
Source: Section 8
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textProcess Snapshot
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced